Michel Couvreur
Burgundy
The
Estate
You may be surprised to learn that a
Belgium man is making Scotch Whisky in the heart of Burgundy!
The man in question is Michel Couvreur who is a passionate
perfectionist when it comes to Scotch Whisky. We were warmly
greeted by Michel, at his old timbered home in the heart of
Burgundy at Bouze-Les-Beaune, and he led us on a tour of his
labyrinth of cellars. He is an amiable and extremely
articulate man with a shock of white hair giving him a “mad
Professor” look.
In the 1950’s Michel Couvreur, originally from Belgium,
landed in Burgundy and made and marketed wine there. He took
frequent trips to England and Scotland where he sold his wine,
but was particularly drawn to Scotland for the fabulous
fishing and hunting. Eventually
he moved to England in 1956, then to Scotland in 1964 where he
became involved in the production process of whisky - from the
selection of the most ancient strains of cereals to employing
extremely rare sherry casks. It became his dream to
pursue the passion he had for making a unique Scotch Whisky.
Unfortunately times were changing in the whisky production and
the old methods were being replaced by new cheaper ones. The
old sherry casks traditionally used were replaced by steel or
plastic
Michel decided to return to France in the 70’s
to be nearer to where the sherry casks originate and he dug
his own cellar in the hillsides of Bouze-les-Beaune. Here,
about midway between the Andalusian vineyards and the Scottish
Highlands, Michel Couvreur matures his Scotch in these rare
sherry casks (Pedro Ximenez and/or Palomino) to produce an exceptional whisky. This large and humid cellar leads to a 500-foot
tunnel with galleries full of natural springs, surrounded by
rows of barrels. The barrels have been impregnated for decades
by the powerful and voluptuous Jerez (Sherry) and here the
germinated barley (or malted barley) mixed with water he
brings from Scotland slowly becomes whisky.
A small room far from any light called "the
paradise" shelters some rare, old and elegant nectar,
carefully kept in sealed demijohns.
Michel’s handcrafted whiskies are recognized as the epitome
of excellence despite the challenges created by the general
automation of production. In 1988, the Danish media
called him “The Last of the Mohicans”... He
is indeed one of the last of the artisanal producers of Scotch
Whisky in the world.
Michel
Couvreur since 1951 ...
Michel
Couvreur's own words ...
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